The kbbreview Podcast

This week we're talking to Graham Johnston, the new owner and CEO of Kitchens International, following the management buyout that has returned one of Scotland's best-known luxury kitchen retailers to independent ownership. After a career leading customer experience and digital transformation at companies including Three, Optical Express and Asda, Graham explains why he believes the future of kitch...

This week we’re tackling one of the oldest frustrations in independent KBB retail - the battle between the physical showroom and online. For years, retailers have had to deal with customers finding products cheaper online after using the showroom for inspiration, advice and reassurance. But has that problem changed? Have selective distribution agreements helped level the playing field? And are bat...

Running an independent KBB business can be hugely rewarding, but it also comes with a level of pressure that customers rarely see. Behind every successful showroom is a business owner juggling cashflow, managing staff, making difficult decisions and carrying the responsibility of keeping the whole operation moving forward. In this episode we're talking openly about the worries and concerns that co...

Is the traditional independent KBB retailer being squeezed out of the middle? As the likes of Wren, Howdens, DIY Kitchens and Victorian Plumbing continue to push further up the value chain, many independent retailers are finding themselves caught in a tightening gap between volume and luxury. So what happens when the middle ground starts to disappear? kbbreview editor Andy Davies is joined as alwa...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast , the show all about the ups and downs and ins and outs of being an independent kitchen and bathroom retailer. And today we're talking about the old chestnut of charging for design - it's a seemingly perennial subject but rather than focusing on whether you should or shouldn't, we're looking at how to do it if you decide you should. What are the pros and cons of th...

What does it really take to become Retailer of the Year at the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards ? In this special bonus episode of The kbbreview Podcast, Andy Davies sits down with the 2026 Kitchen and Bathroom Retailers of the Year to uncover the strategies, decisions and mindset behind their award-winning businesses. Darren Walker of Laings and Ben Setterfield of Bathroom + Kitchen Eleven sh...

Recruiting good people is only half the battle and what happens after they've signed on the dotted line is where the real work begins. In this unofficial part two to last week’s recruitment episode, Andy Davies and the panel tackle the challenge of training and upskilling new showroom staff. From structured inductions and supplier support to learning CAD, building confidence and surviving the drea...

Recruitment has become one of the biggest challenges facing kitchen and bathroom retailers. From finding skilled, reliable people to managing rising wage bills, National Insurance increases and tougher employment legislation, employing staff has never carried more pressure - or more risk. In this episode, our regular retailers of Trevor Scott, LIz Pantling-Jones, Nick Warrington and Steph Warner e...

Working with builders, developers and contractors can open the door to bigger projects, repeat business and long-term growth — but it also brings tighter margins, tougher timelines and a whole new way of operating. In this episode of The kbbreview Podcast , our panel shares practical advice on how independent kitchen and bathroom retailers can successfully break into contracts work, build strong t...

In this special episode of The kbbreview Podcast, host Andrew Davies speaks exclusively to Mike Calcutt, Deputy Director in the HSE’s Engagement and Policy Division, about the regulator’s major update to its guidance on engineered stone fabrication and silica dust exposure. With silicosis cases rising globally, and Australia already banning engineered stone outrigh, the UK industry is now facing t...

Margins matter. But how well do you really understand yours? Our regular panel of retailers - Nick Warrington, Liz Pantling-Jones, Steph Warner and Trevor Scott - gets into the nuts and bolts of profitability and margin. What does a 'healthy' margin actually look like? Is it better to track margin as one overall number or break it down by product? Which is the best way to improve margin - sell for...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast , the show where we dive into the realities of independent kitchen and bathroom retail. This week, host Andy Davies is joined by our panel of industry retailers to tackle...rebates. Are they a welcome bonus at the end of the year, or a core part of your commercial strategy? Do they genuinely influence what you sell - and even what your customers buy - or are they a...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast , the show totally dedicated to the world of independent kitchen and bathroom retail. Your host as always is kbbreview editor Andrew Davies and we're back with a brand new season. In this episode we're catching up on business so far in 2026 with our regular team of retailers - we're over halfway through April so how has the year been so far, where have the pinch po...

In the final episode of Season 17 of The kbbreview Podcast , we've got an exclusive interview with one of the biggest names in kitchen retail - Magnet. Founded in 1918 in Bingley, Yorkshire, by Tom Duxbury, and famously named after his horse, Magnet has become one of the most recognisable brands in the UK kitchen market. But recent years have been anything but straightforward. Following a prolonge...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and it's Part Two of our kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2026 winners special. Since the launch in September last year we've been doing special bonus episodes of the podcast all about the awards and now, we're at the sharp end, we're at the Hilton Birmingham Metropole, and the party has begun. As with all our special awards bonus episodes, a huge thank you to...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast and this penultimate special bonus episode all about the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2026 . And it's all come down to this. Host Matt Baker is at the event itself in the Hilton Birmingham Metropole and it's all happening! As always, these special awards podcasts are all courtesy of our 2026 Awards Partner Sonas Bathrooms and, of course, you can find out al...

We are live at kbb Birmingham 2026! And this is the perfect environment to talk about…. suppliers. In particular, what retailers look for in new suppliers, what questions are they asking, what are the deal breakers, is it all about product or all about terms? Also when you see existing suppliers in environments like this, how important is that face-to-face and is it a chance to renegotiate or simp...

In this special episode of The kbbreview Podcast , host Matt Baker is joined by Managing Editor Andy Davies as they celebrate a huge milestone – Andy’s 20th kbbreview Retail & Design Awards ceremony... From the early days to the present, Andy shares insights into how the awards have evolved, the philosophy behind them, the challenges and frustrations along the way, and the lessons learned from...

As Kutchenhaus hits the 100-showroom milestone, we sit down with UK general manager Jim Barnard to unpack one of the most remarkable growth stories in mid-market kitchen retail. From just 10 showrooms in 2015 to a 100 High Street locations a decade later, Kutchenhaus has become a dominant force in UK kitchen retail backed by German manufacturing giant Nobilia and powered by a loyal network of owne...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast, I'm Andy Davies and this is a very special bonus episode of the show. Today we're meeting appliance brand Midea and if you're unfamiliar with them you won't be for long. They are, simply, one of the biggest appliance companies in the world. Based in China they are an enormous global player and their UK operation, established just four years ago, is now ramping up...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast with Andy Davies – and this week it’s a full-on industry face-off. Kitchens vs bathrooms. Battle lines are drawn. Sides are taken. (Winner… technically undecided.) Trevor and Liz fly the flag for kitchens. Justine stands firm for bathrooms. Nick sits somewhere in the middle, doing a bit of both. We grill them all: Why don’t kitchen retailers sell bathrooms? Why ste...

It’s the next special bonus episode of our Rising Star series, in association with Blum . Host George Dean meets Laila Kamiabi, business manager at Haus of Design, who is already gaining hands-on experience across operations, marketing, HR and project management as she prepares to one day take over the business from her father. Laila shares how she’s embraced a “learn by doing” approach, from runn...

Welcome to The kbbreview Podcast , and yes this week it's the obligatory episode all about A.I. It's the technology that everyone is talking about, and it's very quickly permeating all aspects of our lives but what do our panel of kbb retailers think about it? They may not be experts but do the possibilities scare them or excite them? From what they know, how could it be useful in their day-to-day...

It's another special episode dedicated to the kbbreview Retail & Design Awards 2026 ! And this time, host Matt Baker is out and about at the judging days for the design categories - where the finalists get to present their shortlisted projects to the judges in person.. So you'll hear from both kitchen and bathroom design judges as they explain why this stage is so important, what they take awa...

This week on The kbbreview Podcast we're talking about the relentless battle every retailer faces with unexpected problems that pop up at exactly the worst possible moment - when time is tight, pressure is high, and the margin for error is basically zero. Yes, we're all about firefighting today. Host Andy Davies is joined by regular retailers Trevor, Justine, Nick and Liz , who come armed with the...